Best Turkey Challenge ever, and lots of orange and black

Hats off to Marco Sanchez and John Perales, principals of Gilroy
High and Christopher High, respectively.
Hats off to Marco Sanchez and John Perales, principals of Gilroy High and Christopher High, respectively. They’ve come up with the Turkey Challenge that starts Monday. It’s a fun face-off, just about the perfect school rivalry idea and, to top it off, the Gilroy Foundation will be matching the donations. Starting Monday, it’s Bring a Frozen Turkey to School Day. Turkeys will be donated to St. Joseph’s Family Center and the first school to 100 turkeys wins with the losing principal buying dinner. Actually, I think the losing principal should have to appear in a turkey costume at the rival school’s assembly with St. Joe’s Director David Cox spreading feed before it, but …

But I have a bet with our former mayor, Mike Gilroy, who’s now living in the great state of you know where. It’s a case of wine on our San Francisco Giants vs. those Texas Rangers, and I probably got snookered – Texas wine? But I didn’t agree until he convinced me with a list of award-winning wines from the Lone Star state. My favorite name, “High Plains Tempranillo” from Lone Oak Winery. (By the way, tasty Spanish wines right here in South County at Monte Verde Vineyards on Sycamore Creek Drive – co-owner Alexia Johnson’s mom is Spanish) … OK, backtrack, is the name Lone Oak not the most overused, trite name for a ranch property ever? Plant another tree for god’s sake and call the place Double Oak …

Speaking of trees, when contemplating the marvelous job the folks running the Gilroy Garlic Festival did this year in upping the community disbursement to $270,000, I thought again about the shade and the esthetics. Can’t the G-Fest rent some big boxed trees from Michael Bonfante’s nursery. Fifty of those, placed in just the right spots, like around the Vineyard Stage, could make a huge difference for our customers.

Sure other people thought this last Sunday while watching the pathetic performance by the San Francisco 49ers: Jeff Garcia could have made a difference. Seriously, sign him up. Who are the Niners starting this week, Troy Somebody? Watched one 49er play where the back slipped out to Alex Smith’s left and he fired a 99 mph bullet at him 12 yards away. Brilliant. Then Smith got hurt and the world found out why the coaches didn’t want David Carr to play. C’mon, pitiful. Adding injury to obvious insult, Carr wears Garcia’s 49ers jersey #5. Our former Gilroy High and Gavilan start could throw – and run – circles around Carr. The 49er brain trust is brain dead. Solution for Jed York: Fire Mike Singletary, hire Jim Harbaugh from Stanford – that worked out rather well about 30 years ago …

Hmmmm, 30 years, seems like that’s about the same time Gavilan College’s football team had a fighting chance to be good. Hate to say this in the same breath as touting Garcia’s 49ers comeback, but maybe it’s time the college administration thinks seriously about jettisoning the football program and sprucing up the family-friendly golf course instead of shutting it down.

Down the hatch is a good way to toast the Giants at Stubby’s Sports Bar and Grill where owner John Stieber has a great knack for crowd pleasing – not to mention tasty bar food. His orange Giants World Series celebratory t-shirts are a huge near-sell-out-already hit and the atmosphere is dynamite fun. Won’t say a word about that Aubrey Huff-inspired red thong. Get ready to rock Saturday and Sunday.

Good Gilroy Saturday plan: Downtown Wine Stroll early, then head to Stubby’s for the game. Wine Stroll starts at 2 p.m., game starts at 3:57. It’s all about the timing …

It’s time, seriously, for City Council members – and candidates – to take a walk on the field on the ranch side of Christmas Hill Park. The squirrel holes (geez, maybe dunes is a better word) are deep and dangerous and the lack of proper care for one of our many marvelous community facilities is atrocious.

Anything but atrocious are the cupcakes Penny Perluss produces at PennyCakes on First Street in the Ace Hardware center. Penny recently gobbled up another honor for her red velvet cupcake. But if you’re looking for a special Halloween treat – or the perfect top off for a World Series get together – head on in for the orange-and-black varieties. Penny’s got it all.

Gilroy got it all, too, and today’s the last day to nominate a person or business for an annual “Spice of Life” Chamber Award – Man, Woman, Volunteer, Educator, and Small and Large Business. Forms at www.gilroy.org. All good, but … let’s bring back home the Chamber awards dinner to the Elks. Chef Dave Bozzo’s doing a great job in the kitchen and there’s not a nicer person behind a bar than “Friendly” Frank Angelino. There were good reasons, perhaps, to move it to San Juan Oaks a few years back, but it’s time to bring the event back to where it belongs. Gilroy awards, Gilroy dinner – that’s the right message for the Chamber and the community.